(A) Duties. The Newberry County Airport Commission shall henceforth have no operational, planning, supervisory or other direct authority over any aspect of the operation of the Newberry County Airport, but shall function as an advisory body only, meeting at least quarterly to make recommendations to County Council for the betterment of the Airport.
(1) The new duties of the Airport Commission shall include providing reports or recommendations relating to:
(a) Maintenance.
(b) Capital improvements.
(c) Utilization of the airport.
(d) Reporting of hazardous conditions.
(e) Transmitting complaints from members of the Commission or of the public about any aspect of airport operations.
(f) Developments in the aviation industry or regulatory changes affecting airport operations.
(2) The Commission shall appoint one of its members to serve as a liaison from the Commission to the County to provide input about contractual, engineering, planning and other aviation issues.
(3) After each meeting the approved minutes, and recommendations or reports from the Commission, will be promptly transmitted to the Clerk to the Council for distribution to members of County Council and to the County Administrator.
(4) All records of its meetings, agendas, correspondence and activities will be kept in the County Administrative offices.
(B) Report to County Council. Within 15 days of the effective date of this subchapter, the Airport Commission shall make a detailed report to Newberry County Council of all matters relating to its operation of, and income and expenditures from the Airport facilities, including, but not limited to the following:
(1) A list of all hangars owned by the County and whether or not such are leased to any private party, and a copy of any such lease, disclosure of any financial terms that are not set forth in the lease, and an accounting of all lease payments received.
(2) A list of all privately owned hangars or other property located on the Newberry County Airport grounds, and a copy of the lease or other agreement which allows the placement of such private property on the airport property, and a complete accounting of all revenues from and expenditures relating to each privately owned hangar or to the property.
(3) A copy of any and all agreements with the current airport operator, including any and all Commission minutes relating to the approval of any such agreements, and an accounting of all funds given to him or her or received from him or her, or paid for his or her benefit
(4) Copies of any and all policies adopted by the Commission for the operation of the airport.
(5) List of all airplanes, and details of the ownership thereof, based at the airport.
(6) Complete accounting of funds received and disbursed by the Commission since the last audit provided by the Commission to the county, together with copies of all bank statements for any and all accounts in which the Commission has had any interest for the past 12 months, together with a statement of the current balances in each account, and copies of any checks written after the last available bank statement.
(C) Commission to deliver items to County Council. The Airport Commission shall turn over to Newberry County Council, by delivering same to the Newberry County Administrator, all of its books, records, bank accounts, monies on hand, including checks received, plats, deeds, engineering studies, correspondence with state or federal authorities, and any and every record of any kind whatsoever relating to the airport.
(D) Newberry County Airport to be run as a department of county. The Newberry County Airport shall henceforth be run as a department of the county, under the following provisions:
(1) The airport shall be under the direction and control of the County Administrator, who shall assign the necessary personnel to operate the airport and maintain its facilities.
(2) The County Administrator will review and advise Council about:
(a) The conditions of the airport facilities,
(b) The occupancy thereof by airplane owners and others,
(c) The rental rate that the county should obtain for its hangar facilities,
(d) As to the nature of any existing contracts which may affect the running of the facilities,
(e) The desirability of renegotiating or canceling any contracts not previously approved by formal action of County Council, which are found not to be in the best interests of the county.
(f) In addition, the County Administrator shall:
1. Notify the appropriate state and federal authorities of the change in operational management of the facilities,
2. Notify any consulting engineers or other professionals of the change in operational management,
3. Contact each hangar lessee and/or airplane owner to discuss the amount being paid for hangar rental or ramp storage at the airport, the terms of their lease arrangements,
4. Direct each hangar lessee or airplane owner as to where their payments will be made in the future,
5. Establish rules governing the day to day operation of airport facilities, including matters relating to the security of the facilities, and shall recommend permanent regulations for adoption by Council,
6. Enter into contracts for obtaining and dispensing fuel at the airport in connection with the construction and operation of the new refueling facilities, including contracts which will allow payment by credit or debit card for fuel at the pump by purchasers of aviation fuel,
7. Enter into contracts with fixed base operators at the airport in accordance with the directives of County Council,
8. Enter into contracts, and to accept grants, for the management and improvement of the airport in accordance with the directives of County Council or as provided in budgeted appropriations, and
9. Take such other and further steps as may be necessary and prudent to assume, direct and carry out the day to day operation of the airport.
(Am. Ord. 10-36-05, passed 10-19-2005)